Texas Precious Metals Depository (Shiner) Review
Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission when a reader opens an account through links on this page. The commission does not change what you pay or what we publish. We are not a financial or tax advisor; consult a licensed advisor for your situation. Last reviewed July 2026.
Short on time? The essentials
- Ownership: Texas Precious Metals LLC, subsidiary of Kaspar Companies, a fifth-generation family business operating in South Texas since 1898; largest employer in Lavaca County (source: texmetals.com About page, checked July 2026).
- Facility launched in 2018 as Texas Depository, a private vault expansion of the parent dealer; addressed at 50 CR 356, Shiner, Texas 77984.
- Vault footprint: 54,000 or more square feet of concrete-entombed, temperature-controlled storage; fully owned, not leased through a third party (source: texasdepository.com security page, web archive, checked June 2026).
- Storage model: 100 percent segregated, individually sealed per client; assets held as bailment and independent of the TPMD balance sheet.
- Insurance: all-risks policy through underwriters at Lloyd's of London for full replacement value; daily mark to market against the LBMA reference price.
- Certification: SOC 2 certified under the AICPA Trust Service Criteria for Security; annual account audits by ADKF of San Antonio; listed as an LBMA Member Facility.
- Published IRA storage rate for gold, platinum, and palladium: 0.5 percent per year at balances up to 100,000 dollars, dropping in tiers to 0.28 percent at balances above 2.5 million dollars.
- Zero fees for account setup, deposits, withdrawals, and viewing; minimum monthly billing of 10 dollars applies to every account (120 dollars per year floor).
- IRA custodians named on TPM paperwork: GoldStar Trust, STRATA Trust, Digital Trust, Horizon Trust.
- Not the same as the state-run Texas Bullion Depository in Leander, which is a state agency; TPMD is a private vault owned by a Texas dealer.
On this page
- What Texas Precious Metals Depository actually is
- Why this is not the state Texas Bullion Depository
- The Shiner facility and Kaspar family lineage
- Where TPMD sits in the gold IRA chain
- Full segregation, sealed bags, and the bailment model
- Lloyd's of London insurance and daily mark-to-market
- Security, SOC 2 certification, and annual audits
- IRA custodians that name TPMD as a storage option
- Published TPMD storage rate schedule
- Fee stack for a Texas gold IRA at TPMD
- Estimate your own annual fee drag
- How to open a TPMD storage arrangement
- Worked example: San Antonio rollover to Shiner
- TPMD Shiner vs the state Texas Bullion Depository
- Balanced pros and cons
- When TPMD is a bad fit for you
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What Texas Precious Metals Depository actually is
Texas Precious Metals Depository is a private commercial vault located on the campus of Texas Precious Metals LLC in Shiner, Texas. The dealer built it as an expansion of its existing bullion operation and opened it to third-party clients, family offices, IRA custodians, and institutions in 2018 (source: texmetals.com About page, checked July 2026).
The parent dealer is a subsidiary of Kaspar Companies, a fifth-generation family business that has operated in South Texas since 1898. Kaspar Companies is the largest employer in Lavaca County and reports more than 500 people across four business units, of which Texas Precious Metals is one.
The depository markets itself under the name Texas Depository at texasdepository.com, distinct from the parent retail site at texmetals.com. Storage clients receive their own account, their own login, and a separate depository invoice apart from any dealer trade activity.
For a gold IRA reader, the practical meaning is that TPMD is a private vault owned and operated by a Texas dealer, sitting on Texas soil, and named as an approved storage option by several self-directed IRA custodians. That combination is unusual in an industry dominated by Salt Lake City, Wilmington, and New York vaults.
Why this is not the state Texas Bullion Depository
Two Texas facilities carry names that read alike, and readers routinely confuse them. Texas Precious Metals Depository (TPMD) in Shiner is a private commercial vault owned by a private dealer. The Texas Bullion Depository (TBD) in Leander is an agency of the State of Texas, established by law signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015.
The state depository is run under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, with Lone Star Tangible Assets as the operating vendor since 2017. The private depository in Shiner is run by Texas Precious Metals LLC under its Kaspar family ownership.
The two facilities are 130 miles apart in a straight line and sit in different counties. Shiner is in Lavaca County, roughly midway between San Antonio and Houston. Leander is in Williamson County, immediately north of Austin.
Neither facility is a substitute for the other. A gold IRA holder who wants a state-audited depository chooses Leander. A gold IRA holder who wants a private, dealer-adjacent vault in a small South Texas town chooses Shiner. The rest of this page reviews the Shiner facility only.
The Shiner facility and Kaspar family lineage
The Shiner vault is a purpose-built concrete facility on the same campus as the parent dealer at 50 CR 356. TPMD reports 54,000 or more square feet of storage under the SOC 2 security perimeter, per its own public security page (source: texasdepository.com security page, web archive, checked June 2026).
The building is fully owned by the operator rather than leased through a third party. That ownership matters because it removes the landlord risk that appears when a depository lives inside a shared warehouse or a leased tenant space. The vault, the walls, and the land underneath are the operator's own asset.
Kaspar Companies traces its roots to a South Texas wire works founded in 1898. The company still holds a 128-year, five-generation lineage in Shiner. That lineage is directly relevant to depository trust because the family and the physical facility have real, verifiable roots in a specific place rather than a marketing story.
The Texas Precious Metals subsidiary launched in 2011. The parent About page (checked July 2026) reports over 4 billion dollars in client transactions processed and more than 150,000 orders shipped to all 50 states. That volume covers over 700,000 ounces of gold and 75 million ounces of silver. Volume alone does not prove vault quality, but it establishes the operator is not a start-up.
Where TPMD sits in the gold IRA chain
A gold IRA is built on three separate parties. The dealer sells the coins or bars and sets the premium over spot. The custodian is the IRS-approved trust company that holds legal title inside the IRA. The depository holds the physical metal in a secure vault. TPMD is the third link.
Texas Precious Metals LLC often plays two of those three roles for a TPMD account. It can sell the coins as the dealer, and it operates the depository. The middle role, the IRS-approved custodian, must always be a separate trust company. TPM cannot legally hold IRA title itself.
The reader signs the IRA agreement with the custodian, not with TPMD or the dealer. The custodian then instructs TPMD to receive the metal shipped by the dealer and to hold it in the reader's account inside the vault. Statements come through the custodian, not through TPMD.
This separation is the reason the depository can be a Kaspar family business without breaking IRS rules. The metal is legally titled to the IRA custodian and physically held at TPMD as bailment. Both roles are audited by outside parties, and neither party can move the metal without the other agreeing.
Full segregation, sealed bags, and the bailment model
TPMD only offers 100 percent segregated storage. There is no commingled or pooled tier. Every client's gold, silver, platinum, and palladium is stored physically separate and individually sealed under the client's own account, per the pricing page (checked June 2026 via web archive).
The bailment framing is important. Metals stored at TPMD remain the property of the client and stay independent of the TPMD balance sheet. Client assets are held as bailment rather than as a deposit with the facility or as consignment inventory. That is a stronger legal posture than a pooled deposit at a bank.
Under bailment, if TPMD were to fail as a business, the client metal would not be an asset of the bankruptcy estate. It would remain the client's property, subject to the bailment agreement and to the segregated storage model that names the specific bars and coins.
Segregated storage also matters at withdrawal. Because the exact bars and coins that arrived in your name stay under your name, an in-kind distribution returns those specific pieces to you rather than a fungible substitute. That protects both traceability and any specific-coin preferences you had at the time of purchase.
Lloyd's of London insurance and daily mark-to-market
TPMD carries an all-risks insurance policy through underwriters at Lloyd's of London for the full replacement value of all client holdings across every global location. The policy covers external theft, employee theft, fire, flood, and extreme natural disasters, per the security page (source: texasdepository.com security page, web archive, checked June 2026).
The value of client holdings is marked to market daily against the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) reference price. That daily revaluation matters because insurance coverage should track spot movements rather than a stale invoice cost. If gold trades higher, the coverage moves higher.
The Lloyd's of London arrangement is a syndicate policy rather than a single insurer. Lloyd's is the world's leading market for specialized asset insurance, and depository policies routed through Lloyd's carry a common industry structure. That does not mean it is unlimited, and every policy has usual and customary exclusions.
The prudent read for an IRA holder is to ask the custodian in writing for the current policy limit and for the list of named exclusions. The custodian is the party that can put a specific dollar cap and a named-perils versus all-risks answer in writing.
Security, SOC 2 certification, and annual audits
TPMD has been certified under the Trust Service Criteria for Security by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), which is the SOC 2 audit standard. Client accounts are also audited annually by ADKF, an accounting firm based in San Antonio (source: texasdepository.com security page, web archive, checked June 2026).
Physical security at the Shiner facility includes bullet-resistant doors, man traps, truck traps, biometric access, body scanners, and 24 hour surveillance. Multiple concentric protection layers surround the vault, and standard operating procedure keeps every vault access under dual or triple control.
The on-site security team is staffed by commissioned police officers or ex-military with combined SWAT experience. All security personnel are full-time TPMD employees rather than a third-party contractor. Facility alarms feed directly to local and county law enforcement stationed within one mile of the depository.
For a reader who wants an extra physical layer beyond segregated storage, TPMD offers leased space inside dual-controlled TRTL-30X6 drill-resistant treasury safes, nested inside a Class 2 vault. The additional lease runs 1.50 dollars per ounce per year on top of the standard rate.
IRA custodians that name TPMD as a storage option
Not every self-directed IRA custodian in the retail market will allow storage at TPMD. Four are named on the parent dealer's IRA rollover page as custodians that permit storage at TPM Depository (source: texmetals.com IRA rollover page, checked July 2026):
| Custodian | Location | Phone (custodian public line) |
|---|---|---|
| GoldStar Trust Company | 701 S. Taylor, LB 110, Amarillo, TX 79101-2425 | 800.486.6888 |
| STRATA Trust Company | 7901 Woodway Dr., Waco, TX 76712 | 866.928.9394 |
| Digital Trust | 7336 W. Post Rd #111, Las Vegas, NV 89113 | 800.777.9878 |
| Horizon Trust | 6301 Indian School Rd NE, Ste. 810, Albuquerque, NM 87110 | 888.205.6036 |
Source: texmetals.com IRA rollover page listing custodians that allow storage at TPM Depository, checked July 2026. Custodian relationships and contact details change; confirm directly with each firm before signing paperwork.
Two of the four are Texas-based trust companies. GoldStar Trust in Amarillo and STRATA Trust in Waco are the in-state options that keep both the custodian and the depository inside Texas. Digital Trust in Nevada and Horizon Trust in New Mexico place the custodian out of state while the metal stays in Shiner.
If your dealer names a custodian outside this list, TPMD storage is not on the table for that account. Ask the dealer in writing which custodian the account will run through before you sign any paperwork. Switching custodians after funding is possible but adds paperwork.
Published TPMD storage rate schedule
TPMD publishes its storage schedule on the depository site, priced as an all-in annual percentage of the marked-to-market value of the account. The rate covers both storage and full-replacement insurance through Lloyd's of London. Below the tier floor a 10 dollar monthly minimum applies to every account (source: texasdepository.com pricing page, web archive, checked June 2026).
| Balance tier | Gold, platinum, palladium | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| 0 dollars to 100,000 dollars | 0.50 percent per year | 0.60 percent per year |
| 100,001 to 500,000 dollars | 0.45 percent per year | 0.50 percent per year |
| 500,001 to 1,000,000 dollars | 0.35 percent per year | 0.40 percent per year |
| 1,000,001 to 2,500,000 dollars | 0.35 percent per year | 0.35 percent per year |
| 2,500,001 to 5,000,000 dollars | 0.28 percent per year | 0.28 percent per year |
| Above 5,000,000 dollars | Custom | Custom |
Source: texasdepository.com pricing page for the Texas facility, checked June 2026 via web archive snapshot. Rates apply to the marked-to-market account value; a 10 dollar minimum monthly bill applies to every account. Silver rate premium reflects the volume-to-value ratio, not a quality difference in coverage. Verify current rates with TPMD before signing.
Silver storage runs higher per dollar than gold storage in the lower tiers. That is not a value judgment about silver. It is a physical volume reality: an ounce of silver takes up much more vault shelf space per dollar of value than an ounce of gold, so silver-heavy accounts consume more square footage per dollar.
The account-side fee schedule for setup, deposit, withdrawal, and viewing is zero dollars across all four line items. That is unusual in the industry. Many private depositories charge a per-shipment inbound or outbound handling fee separate from freight costs; TPMD does not on the storage-side accounts.
Reading the chart: at 25,000 dollars the gold storage bill is 125 dollars per year, above the 120 dollar annual floor. At 100,000 dollars gold storage jumps to 500 dollars per year at the 0.50 percent rate. From 250,000 dollars upward the 0.45 percent tier applies, pushing gold to 1,125 dollars per year.
Fee stack for a Texas gold IRA at TPMD
The reader pays three separate cost lines on a TPMD-based gold IRA. The dealer coin premium is usually the largest year-one cost. The IRA custodian account fee is a recurring flat charge. The TPMD storage percentage or the 10 dollar monthly minimum, whichever is higher, is the vault line.
On a 100,000 dollar gold account the vault line sits at 500 dollars per year at the 0.50 percent tier rate. Below 24,000 dollars of value the 10 dollar monthly minimum takes over as a 120 dollar per year floor. Above the tier breakpoints the schedule steps down but the dollar bill still grows with balance.
| Balance | Applied tier rate | Storage dollars per year | Percent of balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | 0.50 percent (10 dollar monthly floor) | $120 | 1.20 percent |
| $25,000 | 0.50 percent | $125 | 0.50 percent |
| $50,000 | 0.50 percent | $250 | 0.50 percent |
| $100,000 | 0.50 percent | $500 | 0.50 percent |
| $250,000 | 0.45 percent | $1,125 | 0.45 percent |
| $500,000 | 0.45 percent | $2,250 | 0.45 percent |
| $1,000,000 | 0.35 percent | $3,500 | 0.35 percent |
Source: computed from the texasdepository.com pricing page for the Texas facility, checked June 2026. Custodian account fees and dealer premiums are separate. Below the 120 dollar annual floor, the 10 dollar minimum monthly bill applies.
The IRA custodian account fee is a separate line and depends on which of the four custodians the account uses. Common flat annual custodian fees run 80 to 275 dollars per year in the retail self-directed metals IRA market. Ask each custodian for a written fee schedule before selecting.
The dealer coin premium is the third line and is almost always the largest year-one cost. Premiums vary widely by product and by dealer. TPMD does not set that premium and does not audit it, so this depository review cannot quote a single number.
Estimate your own annual fee drag
Use the calculator below to enter your planned rollover balance and see the estimated annual carrying cost and fee drag as a percentage. The default fee assumptions can be adjusted to match the TPMD tier your balance falls into and your custodian's own flat account fee.
Texas gold IRA fee-drag calculator
Texas gold IRAs charge mostly flat dollar fees (setup, annual custodian, storage). Flat fees take a much bigger bite out of a small account than a large one. Enter your numbers to see the drag.
Estimate only. Fee amounts vary by provider and are often not published; enter figures you confirm in writing. This tool ignores metal price changes and the dealer spread, which also affect returns. Not financial advice.
Picking a company that explains every fee up front is the first step. Get the free gold IRA company checklist.
How to open a TPMD storage arrangement
Opening a TPMD storage arrangement for a gold IRA runs through one of the four named custodians, not directly with TPMD. The steps below describe what happens between choosing TPMD on the intake form and seeing the first vault receipt on your account.
- Confirm the custodian is on the TPMD list. Ask the dealer whether the account will run through GoldStar Trust, STRATA Trust, Digital Trust, or Horizon Trust. If the answer is any other name, TPMD is not an option and you need a different depository.
- Fund the self-directed IRA at the custodian. Roll over from a former 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or existing IRA. A trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60 day rollover deadline under IRC section 402. The custodian receives the cash before any coin buy can settle.
- Elect TPMD on the depository holdings form. The custodian's intake paperwork asks the account holder to pick a depository. Choose Texas Precious Metals Depository (Shiner facility). TPMD only offers segregated storage, so there is no commingled or pooled option to elect.
- Sign the buy instruction naming TPMD. The dealer prepares a buy instruction that names the coins or bars, the price, and TPMD Shiner as the depository. The custodian executes the wire to the dealer once you sign.
- Dealer ships insured to Shiner or the metal moves on-campus. If Texas Precious Metals is also the dealer, the metal moves in-house on the Shiner campus, which shortens the settlement timeline. If a different dealer sold the metal, the dealer ships insured to the TPMD receiving dock.
- Confirm the sealed segregated receipt in writing. TPMD inspects and books the metal to your account under sealed segregated storage. The custodian issues a receipt confirming the metal is in vault. Ask the custodian to email or mail that receipt in writing.
- Reconcile the first invoice against the published rate. The first monthly TPMD invoice should show the storage line at the correct tier rate for your balance. Reconcile against the published schedule before letting it stand.
Worked example: San Antonio rollover to Shiner
Worked example
Consider a San Antonio resident, age 61, who rolls 180,000 dollars from a former employer 401(k) into a self-directed IRA that names STRATA Trust in Waco as the custodian and TPMD Shiner as the depository. The reader buys IRA-eligible gold coins with the full balance.
The first-year TPMD storage line falls in the second tier at 0.45 percent per year. Applied to 180,000 dollars, that is 810 dollars per year, invoiced monthly. If the balance later drops below 100,000 dollars, the rate steps back up to 0.50 percent, which is 500 dollars per year at exactly 100,000 dollars.
The STRATA Trust flat annual custodian fee is a separate line. Ask STRATA for its current metals IRA fee schedule in writing before selecting. Common retail metals IRA custodian fees sit in the 80 to 275 dollar per year band, but the specific number depends on the schedule in force when you open.
Because Shiner sits within Texas, the metal never leaves state lines from vault receipt through distribution. That does not change federal tax treatment, and it does not change IRS rules on distribution. It does mean the physical asset stays inside Texas jurisdiction.
At the point of distribution, no Texas state income tax applies because Texas has no state personal income tax (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked July 2026). Federal ordinary income tax is the full tax picture on a Traditional IRA distribution. Consult a Texas licensed tax advisor for your specific federal bracket.
TPMD Shiner vs the state Texas Bullion Depository
Texas readers who look at TPMD almost always also look at the state Texas Bullion Depository. The two vaults sit in different legal categories, offer a different reader experience, and route through a different IRA workflow. The comparison below focuses on published facts and leaves the choice to the reader.
TPMD is a privately owned commercial vault run by Texas Precious Metals LLC in Shiner (Lavaca County). The Texas Bullion Depository is an agency of the State of Texas in Leander (Williamson County), established by law signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015, and operated by Lone Star Tangible Assets as the vendor since 2017.
| Attribute | TPMD Shiner (private) | Texas Bullion Depository (state) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal category | Privately owned commercial vault run by Texas Precious Metals LLC (a Kaspar Companies subsidiary) | Agency of the State of Texas; state-run and state-audited |
| Founding | Kaspar Companies since 1898; TPM subsidiary since 2011; depository launched 2018 | Established by law signed June 12, 2015; operations since 2017 |
| Primary location | 50 CR 356, Shiner, Texas 77984 (Lavaca County) | Leander, Texas (Williamson County, north of Austin) |
| Operator | Texas Precious Metals LLC (Kaspar Companies) | Lone Star Tangible Assets as vendor |
| Storage models | Segregated only; individually sealed per client | Segregated storage; verify current models directly |
| Insurance | All-risks policy through underwriters at Lloyd's of London for full replacement value | Insurance details vary by contract; verify with the depository or Lone Star Tangible Assets |
| IRA storage | Yes; named by four custodians (GoldStar Trust, STRATA Trust, Digital Trust, Horizon Trust) | Yes; holds precious metals IRA assets through Lone Star Tangible Assets |
| Published storage rate | Tiered 0.28 to 0.50 percent per year on marked-to-market value; 10 dollar monthly floor | Fee schedule set by Lone Star Tangible Assets; verify current numbers |
| Certifications | SOC 2 by AICPA Trust Service Criteria; LBMA Member Facility; annual audit by ADKF of San Antonio | State-audited; verify specific certifications directly |
| In-state for a Texan? | Yes (Shiner sits within Texas, Lavaca County) | Yes (Leander sits within Texas, Williamson County) |
Source: texmetals.com About and IRA rollover pages; texasdepository.com security and pricing pages via web archive; texasbulliondepository.gov; Texas Comptroller pages. All checked June or July 2026. Storage lineups, fees, and certifications can change; verify with each depository directly before signing paperwork.
The two facilities are not competing for identical readers. TPMD suits a reader who wants a dealer-adjacent private vault with a fixed IRA workflow through four named custodians. The state facility suits a reader who wants a state-administered vault where the counterparty is a Texas government agency.
Balanced pros and cons
Reasons to consider TPMD
- Vault located inside Texas, at 50 CR 356 in Shiner, Lavaca County.
- Only segregated storage, individually sealed per client; assets held as bailment.
- All-risks Lloyd's of London policy for full replacement value on daily mark-to-market.
- SOC 2 certified under the AICPA Trust Service Criteria; annual audits by ADKF of San Antonio.
- Zero fees for account setup, deposits, withdrawals, and viewing on the storage account.
- Parent operator has real, verifiable South Texas lineage since 1898 (Kaspar Companies).
- Rate schedule is published openly on the depository site rather than gated behind a sales call.
Reasons to think twice
- Only four IRA custodians are named as accepting TPMD storage; other retail custodians are not on the list.
- Segregated-only model runs higher than commingled options at some other US vaults for the same balance.
- 10 dollar monthly floor means small accounts under 24,000 dollars pay a higher effective percentage.
- Silver storage runs 0.60 percent up to 100,000 dollars, higher than gold at the same tier.
- Private vault (not state-run), so no state agency counterparty behind the storage relationship.
- Local retail pickup at 50 CR 356 is by appointment only; not a walk-in vault visit.
When TPMD is a bad fit for you
When TPMD is not the right pick
TPMD is not the right depository for every Texas reader. The clearest disqualifiers are custodian mismatch, small-balance fee drag, and a preference for state-run rather than private counterparties.
If your existing self-directed IRA custodian is not one of the four named on the TPMD list, moving to TPMD means switching custodians. That is a real workflow cost, not a technicality. Ask whether the custodian switch is worth the Texas-based storage benefit before starting.
If the account balance is under 24,000 dollars, the 10 dollar monthly floor pushes the effective storage rate above 0.50 percent. On a 10,000 dollar account, the 120 dollar annual floor is 1.20 percent of balance per year. That is a heavy fee drag for a small position, and the calculator above will show the same math for your own numbers.
If a state-agency counterparty is a hard requirement, TPMD is not the right pick. The Texas Bullion Depository in Leander is the state-run option and sits under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. TPMD is a private vault run by a private family business, no matter how long that family has operated in Texas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Texas Precious Metals Depository the same as the Texas Bullion Depository?
No. TPMD is a private commercial vault in Shiner run by Texas Precious Metals LLC, a Kaspar Companies subsidiary. The Texas Bullion Depository is a separate agency of the State of Texas in Leander, established by law in 2015 and operated by Lone Star Tangible Assets since 2017. The two are 130 miles apart and sit in different counties.
Is TPMD IRS-approved for gold IRA storage?
IRA-eligible metals must sit at a depository that a qualified custodian names on its approved list. That rule flows from the IRC section 408 self-directed IRA framework and the McNulty v. Commissioner ruling on home storage (2021 US Tax Court).
TPMD is named as an approved storage option by four self-directed IRA custodians (GoldStar Trust, STRATA Trust, Digital Trust, Horizon Trust) per the texmetals.com IRA rollover page, checked July 2026. If your custodian is not on that list, TPMD is not available for your account.
Does TPMD offer commingled or pooled storage?
No. TPMD only offers 100 percent segregated storage, individually sealed per client, per the depository pricing page checked June 2026. Client assets are held as bailment and remain the property of the client. There is no commingled or pooled tier.
Who insures the metal at TPMD, and for how much?
TPMD carries an all-risks policy through underwriters at Lloyd's of London for the full replacement value of client holdings, marked to market daily against the LBMA reference price. Coverage includes external theft, employee theft, fire, flood, and extreme natural disasters. Specific policy limits and named exclusions should be requested in writing through your IRA custodian.
What does storage cost at TPMD for a Texas gold IRA?
Gold, platinum, and palladium storage runs 0.50 percent per year up to 100,000 dollars and 0.45 percent from 100,001 to 500,000 dollars. It steps down to 0.35 percent from 500,001 to 2.5 million dollars, then 0.28 percent from 2.5 million to 5 million dollars (source: texasdepository.com pricing page, checked June 2026 via web archive). Silver runs 0.60 percent up to 100,000 dollars. A 10 dollar minimum monthly bill applies to every account, or 120 dollars per year.
Can I visit the Shiner vault in person to see my metal?
Local pickup at the parent dealer facility at 50 CR 356 in Shiner is by appointment only, per the texmetals.com contact block checked July 2026. TPMD lists viewing as a zero-fee line item on the depository pricing schedule, meaning there is no per-visit charge. Contact the depository through your custodian to schedule any physical inspection.
How does Texas having no state income tax matter for a TPMD gold IRA?
Texas has no state personal income tax, per the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (checked July 2026). IRA distributions, RMDs, and Roth conversions are taxed at the federal level only for a Texas resident. Choosing TPMD does not create that tax status; Texas residency does. Metal stored at TPMD by a non-Texas resident is taxed under that resident's own state rules.
What happens to my metal if TPMD or Texas Precious Metals goes out of business?
Client metal at TPMD is held as bailment and remains the property of the client, independent of the TPMD balance sheet, per the depository security page (checked June 2026 via web archive). Under bailment, client assets are not an asset of a hypothetical bankruptcy estate. Segregated, sealed storage means the specific bars and coins in your account stay under your name. Ask your custodian and TPMD in writing to confirm the current bailment agreement text.
If you want a checklist before you sign any custodian or depository paperwork
An outside checklist for the dealer conversation
A depository is only one of three parties in a gold IRA. Before locking in any custodian, dealer, or depository combination, use an outside checklist to compare fees, buyback terms, and legal structure across the dealers you are considering. This is helpful whether you land on TPMD, the Texas Bullion Depository, or an out-of-state vault.
Augusta Precious Metals publishes a 10-point company checklist that Harry's Coins works with as a primary reference. It is a free download, not a purchase, and the questions it asks are the ones any Texas reader should put to a dealer before signing paperwork.
Sources
- Texas Precious Metals, About Us page (Kaspar Companies lineage, 1898 founding, TPM 2011 launch, Texas Depository 2018 launch, transaction volume). texmetals.com/about-texas-precious-metals, checked July 2026.
- Texas Precious Metals, IRA Rollovers page (custodians allowing storage at TPM Depository, IRA rollover process). texmetals.com/ira-rollover, checked July 2026.
- Texas Precious Metals Depository, Security page (SOC 2 certification, Lloyd's of London insurance, bailment model, security operations). web.archive.org snapshot of texasdepository.com/security, checked June 2026.
- Texas Precious Metals Depository, Pricing page (all-in tiered rate schedule, minimum monthly billing, zero-fee line items, TRTL-30X6 safe surcharge). web.archive.org snapshot of texasdepository.com/pricing, checked June 2026.
- Texas Precious Metals Depository, Home page (world-class vaulting mission, LBMA Member Facility, insurance coverage summary). web.archive.org snapshot of texasdepository.com, checked June 2026.
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Franchise and Sales Tax overview and Personal Income Tax note (Texas has no state personal income tax). comptroller.texas.gov, checked July 2026.
- Texas Bullion Depository, official state page (state agency status, Leander location, June 12, 2015 statutory basis, Lone Star Tangible Assets as vendor). texasbulliondepository.gov, checked July 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-A and 590-B on IRA Contributions and Distributions (self-directed IRA rules, IRC section 408, contribution and RMD framework). irs.gov/publications/p590a, checked July 2026.
- US Tax Court, McNulty v. Commissioner (2021), on home storage of IRA metal counting as a distribution. ustaxcourt.gov, checked July 2026.